Selecting and Storing Fresh Produce: Tips & Tricks

Food is expensive. Yet, if you are like most Americans, you
waste approximately 14 percent of all the food brought into your home.

A study at the University
of Arizona tracked the food
use habits of families for a year. Researchers worked with the United States Department of
Agriculture. They interviewed families about their eating habits, collected
their grocery receipts, watched them prepare meals, and documented everything
that was discarded.

The results, reported in 2002, were pretty shocking. The
families tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year. That’s about 14
percent of all food brought into the home which came at a cost of about $600.

When it comes to fresh produce, the statistics were even worse. The
University of Arizona
study found that Americans waste about 25 percent of the produce brought into
their home, mostly because it spoiled.

Which is why I have been compiling tips and tricks for storing fresh produce.

By selecting the best produce and then storing it properly, your produce will stay fresh longer. If the food stays fresh longer, it is less likely to go to waste.